Many accessories and convenience items have been developed for the sport of golfing. One area that has received a great deal of attention is ball retrieval devices. These devices come in a wide variety of styles but may be generally defined by the particular environment in which they operate.
Some ball retrieval devices are specifically designed to retrieve golf balls from water hazards. The basic components of such devices generally include a telescoping type handle that enables the user to reach out far enough into the water hazard to retrieve the ball and an open net or cage-like device at one end of the handle which allows for drainage during the retrieval process.
A second type of ball retrieval device is specifically designed to accumulate a number of golf balls at one time. Such devices can be in the form of automatic sweepers that roll over the balls and sweep them up off the ground and into a bin.
A third type of device is specifically designed to pick the golf ball up off of the ground or from within the putting green golf cup. One type of device for accomplishing this function is a movable claw-type grabbing device that is attached to a pole. Generally, a trigger mechanism on the pole handle enables the user to open and close the claw in order to pick up the ball.
Many of the devices are manufactured to stand alone and therefore must be purchased as an addition to one's golf clubs. Such an approach in not only more expensive, but also requires the golfer to carry an additional device in his golf bag.
Some attempts have been made at designing items that incorporate several features into one object. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,658 discloses a putter with a golf ball pick-up structure in the center thereof. However, this design does not provide any structure for cleaning the golf ball during retrieval.